Album Review: Blacklab - Abyss
Reviewed by Tim Finch
From the darkness, a cymbal shimmers into gentle life, it repeats. Then out of nowhere a fuzzy guitar draws breathe, its notes gritty and dripping with a menacing tone. As this ‘Insanity’ continues the song forms a shape, it is noisy, doom laden and full of loathing. This the wonderfully introduction into Blacklab’s new album ‘Abyss’.
The Japanese duo of Yuko Morino (guitars/vocals) and Chia Shiraishi (drums) make up the mysterious Osaka pairing Blacklab. ‘Abyss’ is the outfits second full length album, a follow up to 2018’s ‘Under The Strawberry Moon’, under which they gained the moniker of ‘dark witch doom’. And on first listen to ‘Abyss’ you can understand why.
The raucous guitars layered with a fuzzy underbelly give their sound a dirty, gritty feel, almost that of an unfinished garage demo rather than a mastered album. But that is all so intentional, this most definitely is not a floorless, polished masterpiece. Recorded over just three days it may seem rushed but this album is anything but. The band’s song writing process is a form of perfection at the speed of one song a month, fine-tuned to perfection, the recording of which is just the final section in that process.
The resultant output is a cross of noise and doom with a haunting vocal line. ‘Fade and Melt’ demonstrating Yuko’s vocal prowess flicking between traditional vocals and guttural growls. ‘Weed Dream’ despite its title is a little more upbeat, whereas ‘Amusement Park of Terror’ is deliciously opened with a black/death metal inspired riff before the bleak and haunting sounds seep in. ‘Forked Road’ has a magical thrash intro, less fuzz more outright pace, a battering ram of aggression pummelling the listener into submission.
This album is not one for the uninitiated, if this is your first foray into the legion of doom bands out there, I would suggest starting elsewhere. But don’t let that put you off, revisit this album later. For those already entrenched in the doom genre, this album is a masterful demonstration of how limitless the styles of song writing can be, mixing in elements other genres and overlaying with a covering of fuzz.
